What Is Marriage?

Wonderful!  Fusi and Sisanda are getting married soon. It got me thinking about What is Marriage? What can a newly wed couple expect?

It is an exciting journey of love and self-discovery, of sacrifice and satisfaction of growth and blessing and tears and joy. It’s mountain peaks and low valleys – it’s deep friendship and ecstatic love, it’s intimacy and gentleness, it’s humour and frustration. It’s loud exclamations and deep sighs, and belly laughs and pillow fights. It’s hard slog and exuberant days of carefree fun. It’s pacing oneself and freaking out from stress. It’s arguments and make-ups. It’s sickness and health. It’s warm sunny days and ‘cold fronts’. It’s warm hugs and cold shoulders. It’s happy communication and silent treatment. It’s working things out and working out things. It’s perseverance and commitment. It’s determination and desire. It’s counting money and making money count. It’s generosity and kindness. It’s goodness and dignity. It’s submission and respect. It’s seasons of prosperity and seasons of need. It’s misunderstandings and explanations. It’s negotiation and discussion and communication and conversation. It’s remaining humble and defending the other. It’s looking to the needs of the other and putting yourself second. It’s praying for and praying about and praying with. It’s saying sorry and asking forgiveness. It’s offering grace and being merciful. It’s growing up and growing old. It’s celebrations and abundant joy. It’s facing grief together and mourning. It’s unwrapping layers of past pain and exposing raw emotion. It’s unconditional acceptance, never-ending loyalty. It’s shunning hostility and embracing peace.  It’s working together, towards a common goal. It’s supporting one another through thick and thin.  It’s trust and faith. It’s humour and gladness and laughter and lightness. It’s self-control and perseverance. It’s sunrises and sunsets, strange habits and odd smells! It’s roses and chocolates, surprises and crazy gifts. It’s burnt suppers and candlelit dinners. It’s compliments and encouragement. It’s appreciation and gratitude. It’s saying “thank you” and “I love you”.

Ultimately, it’s security in walking the road of life with company –  someone you like, and who likes you and who you want to be with, and who wants to be with you. It’s ‘best friend’ friendship. It’s growing closer together as we grow closer to Jesus.

Marriage Triangle

And I haven’t even scratched the surface.

Genesis 2:18 The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”

Thank you, Jesus, for the privilege of being married to Mike. My emotional tank is full.

In His Grip,

Helga 🙂